Basic Facts on the Statue of Liberty

Her Makers

• France gave the Statue of Liberty to the United States in 1886 as a token of the friendship that was established during the Revolutionary War. Édouard de Laboulaye conceived the idea as a way to recognize America's democratic triumph, and as a way to show his support for democracy in France. Sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to create the massive structure. Along the way, Bartholdi needed an engineer to help with the infrastructure of the statue, so Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (creator of the Eiffel Tower) designed the statue's skeletal framework.
  
  

Financial Difficulty

• The statue was originally intended to be presented to the United States as a centennial gift in 1876, but financial difficulties for both countries stood in the way. Joseph Pulitzer used his newspaper to criticize the public for not giving the support required to finish the statue. He criticized the rich for not supplying funds and the middle class for expecting the wealthy to fund it by themselves. At last the people were motivated to donate, and the statue was completed.
  
  

The Trip Overseas

• The French frigate "Isere" transported the statue from France to the U.S. Lady Liberty arrived in 350 pieces in 214 crates. In four months, she was reassembled onto her pedestal on Bedloe's Island in New York Harbor.
  
  

Change

• The Statue of Liberty has seen many changes over the years. She has been under the care of the Lighthouse Board, the War Department and is currently supervised by the National Park Service. The statue was declared a National Monument in 1924. In 1956, Bedloe's Island was renamed Liberty Island. President Ronald Reagan began a restoration effort in 1982, and the newly restored statue opened back up in 1986 for her 100th birthday.
  
  

The Statue Herself

• The Statue of Liberty is made of copper, which was pounded to a thickness of 3/32 in.--roughly the thickness of two pennies put together. The statue appears green due to oxidation of the copper. Lady Liberty is 305' 1" tall, about as tall as a 22-story building. The spikes on her crown symbolize the seven continents. Her torch symbolizes enlightenment, illuminating the path to freedom. The date of America's independence is inscribed in Roman numerals on her tablet.